preserve

²preserve

noun

Definition of PRESERVE

1

: fruit canned or made into jams or jellies or cooked whole or in large pieces in a syrup so as to keep its shape —often used in plural

2

: an area restricted for the protection and preservation of natural resources (as animals or plants) <a game preserve for regulated hunting or fishing> <nature preserves>

3

: something regarded as reserved for certain persons

Examples of PRESERVE

1. a jar of strawberry preserve
2. Game preserves allow only carefully controlled hunting and fishing.
3. The military was once an all-male preserve.

First Known Use of PRESERVE

1600

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra